Vertically folding barriers or wall partitions formed by a plurality of interconnected horizontal wall panels form joints and gaps between the wall panels and the floor, ceiling and side walls of a building enclosure to be divided. Sound propagates between these joints and gaps and through the panels and it is therefore necessary to insulate these to achieve effective sound damping while maintaining contact between the ceiling and floor and side walls of the enclosure and further without hindering the proper operation of the folding wall partition. It is well known that sound levels are expressed in decibels (dB) and relate to sound pressure which may be measured in micropascals for example. As dBs are logarithmic units, the higher up the scale of sound pressure level, the more difficult it is improve the acoustic performance, which grows exponentially.
Improved acoustic properties are not guaranteed through the use of heavier gauge steel face and backer sheets, nor with the simple addition of larger, thicker and/or heavier insulation and/or seals. Acoustic consultants will admit that one cannot know with great certainty the acoustic performance of an enclosure wall until you test it. Furthermore, there are tradeoffs with adding more weight to the panels and seals. The added weight increases the stresses in the lifting mechanism and hoisting equipment and ultimately affects the limits of the system. Effective combinations of various material and seal structures are necessary to improve acoustic performance without sacrificing other performance criteria, and this requires significant research and testing of various combinations of elements.